Welcome and thank you for taking a bible break to test your knowledge of God's word.
This week's question:

When the word "antichrist" comes up in conversation, the question that often comes to mind is who is the "one" that will fulfill that role in the biblical text. The "beast" of Revelation or the "man of lawlessness" of 2 Thessalonians chapter two who exalts himself above every so called god or object of worship. He is restrained for a while, but the restraint will be removed and he will be revealed "in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders." (2 Thessalonians 2:8-12)

Paul, when speaking to the overseers, or elders, warns them that:

Acts 20:29-30 I know that after my departure savage wolves will come from in among you, not sparing

the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the

disciples after them. So we can see that problems will develop from men within the church and from

among the elders themselves.

So for the answer to our question of "Who is the antichrist?" we go to:

1 John 2:18-19 Children, it is the last hour; and just as you have heard that the antichrist is coming,

even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know it is the last hour. They went out from us,

but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they

went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us. But you have an anointing from the Holy

One, and you all know. I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do

know it, and because no lie is of the truth. Who is the liar, but the one who denies that Jesus is the

Christ? This is the antichrist , the one who denies the Father and the Son.

John has said that they have heard that the antichrist is coming, but he informs them that "many antichrists have appeared"! An example of the work of the early antichrists is given again by John:

3 John 9-10 I wrote something to the church; but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, does not

accept what we say. For this reason, if I come, I will call attention to his deeds which he does, unjustly

accusing us with wicked words; and not satisfied with this, he himself does not receive the brethren,

either, and he forbids those who desire to do so and puts them outside the church.

Diotrephes is no doubt preaching "Jesus" in the church, his pride bulging as he desires to be first among the members of the church, and those that follow him allow it to happen. But his teaching is not according to truth as he will not listen to what the Apostles have to say and does not allow those standing for truth within the church. So just as the Apostle John shows us that a falling away from the truth has happened, Paul warns us that false teachings, or doctrines have also already developed:

Galatians 1:6-10 I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of

Christ, for a different gospel; which is not really another; only there are some who are disturbing you

and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a

gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say

again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, He is to be accursed!

For am I now seeking the favor of men or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still striving

to please men I would not be a bondservant of Christ.

Those that change the teaching of our Lord are accursed. That is pretty strong language and should make us realize the importance of holding fast to the truth! Yet from the beginning we have men that would rather have the praise of men than that of God (John 12:42).

Again, John contends against those that teach that Jesus did not come in the flesh upon this earth:

1 John 4:2-4 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come

in the flesh is from God; And ever spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of

the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming , and now it is already in the world.

And so, "Who is the antichrist?" They and the ones who may acknowledge Jesus, but not according to the Spirit of truth. They are the deceivers that have already gone out into the world, teaching accursed distortions by either adding to the word of God or taking away from the truth (2 John 9) that carry away disciples who give in to "every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming." (Ephesians 4:14) "Wanting to have their ears tickled, they accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears form the truth and will turn aside to myths." (2 Timothy 4:3-4). "Who is the antichrist?" The one who does not confess Jesus as the Christ from God (1 John 4:3).

There is no doubt that the "man of lawlessness" and the "beast" will be numbered among the deceivers and part of the antichrist movement that started from the very first century of the establishment of the church. Let us be like those of Berea who studied the scriptures to see if the teachings were true (Acts 17:11), and to handle accurately the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15)